Il bucaniere della Giamaica

Hector Lynch #2

by Tim Severin

Rapito dai corsari e venduto come schiavo al mercato di Algeri, il diciassettenne Hector Lynch è riuscito con astuzia, coraggio e determinazione a sovvertire il proprio destino e a riconquistare la libertà. Ma la prospettiva d'iniziare una nuova vita nel Nuovo Mondo s'infrange ben presto tra le onde del Mar dei Caraibi, dove la sua nave viene intercettata da John Coxon, un bucaniere noto per la sua estrema crudeltà e spregiudicatezza. In un primo momento, però, la fortuna sembra assistere Hector: il giovane infatti convince Coxon di essere nientemeno che il nipote di Sir Thomas Lynch, il potente governatore della Giamaica. Tuttavia non può certo immaginare che il pirata ha intenzione di consegnarlo "in dono" a Sir Henry Morgan, il nemico giurato del governatore; perciò, quando l'inganno viene svelato, fuggire è il solo modo per sottrarsi all'ira del bucaniere. E quella fuga fa precipitare Hector in un vortice d'intrighi politici e di pericoli mortali: prima in mare aperto, tra uragani devastanti e paurosi naufragi, e poi nelle viscere della terra, dove gli spagnoli hanno scoperto immense miniere d'oro. E in un mondo in cui la menzogna e il tradimento sono le uniche monete di scambio, anche l'amore per una bellissima e nobile ragazza può rivelarsi una debolezza letale...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Pirates, Fiction, Nautical, Action

371 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2008

About the author

Tim Severin was a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He received the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his 1982 book The Sindbad Voyage.

He was born Timothy Severin in Assam, India in 1940. Severin attended Tonbridge School and studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford.

Severin has also written historical fiction along with non fiction. The Viking Series, first published in 2005, concerns a young Viking adventurer who travels the world. In 2007 he published The Adventures of Hector Lynch series set in the late 17th century about a 17-year-old Corsair.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**

Read this book in 2008, and its the 2nd volume of the delightful "Pirate" series.

In this tale, after his slavery adventures Hector and his friends, Dan and Jacques, has sailed from North Africa to the Caribbean, where they fall into the hands of the notorious buccaneer, Captain John Coxon.

Dan and Jacques are released by Coxon, but Hector is taken, mistakenly seen as the nephew of Sir Thomas Lynch Governor of Jamaica, and brought to Sir Henry Morgan, bitter enemy of Governor Lynch.

But at a Christmas party, in an effort to curry favour with Henry Morgan, Coxon is publicly humiliated when it appears that Hector is not a member of the Governor's family, and from now on Hector has an furious enemy in Coxon.

Hector, with his friends Dan and Jacques, are on the run again, and when they find their ship they will set sail towards an expedition near the Panama coast, where they hear about the gold mines there, but the Spaniards possessing them are defending them bitterly.

What is to follow is a very exciting tale about a famous buccaneer alongside our heroes of, Hector, Dan and Jacques, and their travels and adventures that are brought to us in a most incredible fashion by the author.

Highly recommended, for this is a fantastic addition to this great series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Amazing Buccaneer"!

[Jorgen Schäfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Tim Severin’s pirate novel Buccaneer, Hector Lynch and his friends finally arrives in the Caribbean, after having spend weeks on the sea in an undermanned ship to fleet from Europe. Before they can set foot on land, though, they are met by one of many buccaneer ships in the area. Hector finds himself drawn into a life between fast rewards and legal persecution at the frontier of civilization.

Ah, I love good pirate stories. This is the second part of the Hector Lynch series, and it is every bit as good as the first. Tim Severin does not use incredibly deep characters, but instead focuses on the scenery and historical setting. A bit like a good travel report. That is not to say that the characters are not rich and interesting, they are just not the main focus. Additionally, Tim Severin managed to include the typical pirate story trope of the beautiful woman in a way that gives the women both agency and personal strength, a (sad) rarity in such stories.

All in all, one of the best pirate stories I know. Unless you dislike swashbuckling, sails and cannons, read it.

[Nikhilā · Rating 4 out of 5]

much better than the first book. Hector really needs to get laid though.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Severin uses actual historical characters and events to shape his fictional stories. In this second Hector Lynch story, we have moved from Europe and the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, switched from the Turkish Corsairs to Buccaneers, essentially a different form of barely legal piracy. Severin describes the times and conditions in detail, using the story of Lynch and his friends as a backdrop for this. Because the historical detail takes precedence, some people have argued that the characters are shallow. I believe that we get just enough character detail to be interested in them as much as the historical references. And, for me, that also doesn’t detract in any way from the overall storytelling.

For all the friends that Hector has made along the way, he has lost so much on his journey. We don’t hear any more about his sister in this story, apart from a couple of small mentions, but he is still battling hard to find true freedom. He doesn’t really have the heart for true piracy and killing, but he has made himself useful in other ways, as a map copier/maker, navigator, and negotiator, even apprenticing himself to a surgeon for a time.

Essentially some people had no choice but to take up the life in times and an area where honest work wasn’t always that easy to come by. For others, they enjoyed the life far too much and, even though Buccaneers were technically considered more as Privateers than Pirates, the legality of their actions was a fine line drawn by the authorities dependent on the benefits and wealth of any plunder. It allowed for certain criminal actions to be overlooked if the value of the plunder or information was high enough to be of benefit to the host nation.

I really enjoy reading about historical high seas hijinks and this book, as well as the series so far, was a great addition to my shelves, as much for the story as the historical information.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

[Paul Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine adventure yarn from this author. You never know what’s going to happen but it’s always entertaining.

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and very enjoyable.

[Cockneylen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the second book in the series before this one. What a wally! However, it was still a really good read, and more so, once you read the historical notes at the end of the story. Enjoyed it very much.

[Kyle Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love pirate books like this, it's a shame there's not more out there. If anyone knows any please let me know. I've read John Drake & Mark Keating. Also Golden Lion by Wilbur Smith is really good.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable afternoon read - better plot and characterisation than the first in the series.

[Josune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resumen:

Cuenta la historia de Hector Lynch, un muchacho que por decisiones del destino acaba embarcado en un viaje rodeado de piratas y bucaneros. La historia comienza cuando se salva de ser llevado al mercado de esclavos por su apellido, del cual se aprovecha aunque no sea la misma familia. Con esto consigue enfadar a un pirata muy conocido, y emprende un viaje huyendo de él. El destino vuelve a golpearle cuando acaba un quererlo bajo el mando de ese mismo pirata, que no quiere otra cosa que verlo muerto. Solo se lo impide la gran empresa que se ha formado para conseguir un sin fin de valiosos botines por los inexplorados mares del Sur.

Valoración:
Me ha gustado mucho, es un libro lleno de viajes y giros inesperados.
Al principio contiene un mapa de la región en la época, ayudando al lector a situarse entre los lugares que visitan.
Contiene muchas palabras técnicas náuticas, proporcionando riqueza de vocabulario.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the first, with the author cleverly manoeuvring the hero so that we meet some of the better known pirates (Henry Morgan and John Coxhan) as well as charting Bartholomew Sharpe's pirate expedition in the uncharted Pacific and round the Horn.I do think that the main character (Hector) could be a bit more 3D, I never felt that he was a fully well-rounded character, but this didn't greatly detract from the history.
The first novel's end I felt was rather farfetched but now acknowledge that the author does well to show so much of the 1670/80s through these books and it would be impossible to realistically get the character's between so many events at this time.
I'll be reading the next in the series.

[Robert Magness · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, Severin’s Lynch series isn’t as much about the rousing adventure of Sabatini as much as it is the adventure of a lad trying to survive wild and constantly changing times. This series is more about discovery of reality—a touch more I,Claudius than a gladiator style novel. I’m still finding it thoroughly entertaining. I’m not quite getting the major pirate attacks and battles as I had originally thought, but I’m engaged in the story and following Hector’s adventures. Severin leans more towards the reality than the fantasy, which still has its fun.

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book, the second in the series, as much as the first. Maybe because I read it straight after the first and was familiar with the characters, or maybe I just know more about the buccaneers than I do about corsairs. Whatever. It was a good adventure romp set in the 17th century Caribbean. Well worth the 50p I paid for it in a second hand book shop in Hay on Wye. Enjoyable holiday reading.

[Catherine Rowntree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and the main character, Hector,but the nautical terminology on their on sea conflicts did my head in. I had to keep looking words up and was losing the flow of the story. I was interesting though just not an easy read for me.

[Mark Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant historical novel

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in the mood for some pirate adventure when I picked this book up in a charity shop.

Sadly, although the story was well researched and interesting enough, it felt like it was written for a reader younger than a man in his forties. I really wanted to like it and get involved in the characters and to an extent I did, but it never really had me on the edge of my seat.

I would probably read another one if I picked it up cheap, but I wouldn't dash out and buy it full price.

[Dermo · Rating 2 out of 5]

see my review under 'Corsair'

[Gary Pellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Corsair however, it still left you up in the air at times

It did make more of the piracy seen and it's intimate details

[Martin Gehling · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd book in the series which was very interesting and entertaining.

[Rick Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, and enjoyable.

[Oismiffy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drivel. Don't bother.